FRAUD PREVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

On 2026-06-10, Representative James Comer (R-KY-1) delivered a floor speech titled "FRAUD PREVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT" in the House.

FRAUD PREVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4065-H4071] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FRAUD PREVENTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1345, I call up the bill (H.R. 8312) to establish fraud prevention and program integrity functions and data sharing authorities within the Department of Treasury and a permanent governmentwide Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1345, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, printed in the bill, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 8312 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act''. SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF FRAUD PREVENTION AND FINANCIAL INTEGRITY FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. (a) In General.--Section 306 of title 31, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``Sec. 306. Fiscal Service ``(a) The Bureau of the Fiscal Service is a service in the Department of the Treasury. ``(b) The head of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service is the Fiscal Assistant Secretary appointed under section 301(d). ``(c) The Bureau of the Fiscal Service, having as its head a Commissioner, shall maintain the following functions related to financial integrity, spending transparency, and preventing improper payments resulting in financial loss to the government, and does not include any investigative or law enforcement function, which, in addition to any other duty the Secretary of the Treasury assigns-- ``(1) shall administer and operate the Do Not Pay system required under section 3354 in a manner that ensures that any data provided to the Secretary is used only for the purposes set [[Page H4066]] forth under section 3354 in accordance with applicable law; and ``(2) shall, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, establish and maintain a voluntary governmentwide data analysis program in accordance with applicable law and using the authorities under section 6(c)(1) of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (Public Law 109-282; 31 U.S.C. 6101 note)-- ``(A) to provide data sharing and analysis services to Federal agencies and any State (meaning a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, a territory or possession of the United States, or a federally recognized Indian Tribe) and local government responsible for the administration of a federally funded program or the disbursement of Federal funds, to detect fraud and prevent improper payments resulting in a financial loss to the government, but for no other purpose including any policy analysis and enforcement action purpose, and, including by facilitating the following services upon request and on a voluntary basis in accordance with all applicable privacy and security laws: ``(i) Federal agency or State and local government data sharing of known fraudulent entities and transactions resulting from final adverse action determinations, payment denials, referrals for criminal investigation, or equivalent findings with the Department of the Treasury. ``(ii) Screening awardees and payees against the centralized fraud database prior to award or payment issuance, as feasible and in accordance with individual program requirements. ``(iii) Screening relevant cyber activity against the centralized fraud database to review recipient or payee changes to virtual identity or payment information. ``(iv) Establishing governmentwide standards for the collection, labeling, and sharing of data related to improper payments, to include fraudulent payments, with the Department of the Treasury. ``(v) Partnering with financial institutions and industry to share best practices and, as appropriate, information on known fraud patterns and results of investigations into fraudulent activity. ``(vi) Providing identity, eligibility, account, and vital event verification and validation tools and analytical services to agencies, as necessary and appropriate; and ``(B) that is capable of receiving (including in bulk data formats and through systems that facilitate real-time data access) any data asset, information, or record related to the administration of Federal programs (including federally funded State-administered programs) and disbursement of Federal funds under such programs, provided to the Secretary for secure and confidential use by the center or the Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability and Recovery (in accordance with any terms included in a written data sharing agreement between the Secretary and the Inspector General) to recognize and address patterns of fraudulent actors, information, and claims across such programs; and ``(3) shall provide the Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, access to such information technology, data assets, information, and records to support the functions and services of the Office of the Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery established under section 317 in accordance with applicable law. ``(d) The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall not later than 2 years after the establishment of this section, and on an annual basis thereafter, submit, to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, a report, which may be included as part of another report submitted to Congress by the Secretary, on the implementation of the Program, including participation rates and an assessment of the Program's effectiveness in reducing fraud and preventing improper payments resulting in a financial loss to the government. ``(e) The Secretary of the Treasury may designate another officer or employee of the Department to act as the Fiscal Assistant Secretary when the Fiscal Assistant Secretary is absent or unable to serve or when the office of Fiscal Assistant Secretary is vacant.''. (b) Coordination in Designating Do Not Pay Databases.-- Section 3354(b)(1)(B) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury'' before ``in consultation''. (c) Amendment to Data Act of 2014 Data Analysis Center Authorization.--Section 6(c)(1) of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Public Law 109- 282; 31 U.S.C. 6101 note) is amended by striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall''. SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR FRAUD, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND RECOVERY. (a) Establishment of Inspector for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery.--Subchapter I of chapter 3 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 317. Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery within the Department of the Treasury ``(a) Office of Inspector General.--There is established within the Department of the Treasury, the Office of the Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery. ``(b) Appointment of Inspector General; Removal.-- ``(1) In general.--The head of the Office shall be the Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. ``(2) Nomination.--The nomination of the Inspector General shall be made without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity and demonstrated ability in accounting, auditing, financial analysis, law, management analysis, public administration, or investigations. ``(3) Removal.--The Inspector General shall be removable from office in accordance with the provisions of section 403(b) of title 5. ``(4) Political activity.--For purposes of section 7324 of title 5, the Inspector General shall not be considered an employee who determines policies to be pursued by the United States in the nationwide administration of Federal law. ``(5) Basic pay.--The annual rate of basic pay of the Inspector General shall be the annual rate of basic pay for an Inspector General under section 403(e) of title 5. ``(6) Legal counsel.--The Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery shall, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations governing the civil service, obtain legal advice from a counsel either reporting directly to the Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery or another inspector general within the executive branch. ``(c) Duties and Responsibilities.-- ``(1) In general.--It shall be the duty of the Inspector General, in accordance with section 404(b)(1) of title 5, to conduct, supervise, or coordinate oversight activities, including audits and investigations of the use of and the provision or award of covered funds, and the management by agency heads of any program established by the use of covered funds, with such related activities of the Inspector General to be considered civil or criminal law enforcement activities, including by-- ``(A) providing support to agency Inspectors General, if requested by the agency Inspector General, in the oversight of covered funds in order to-- ``(i) detect and prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement; ``(ii) identify major risks that cut across programs and agency boundaries; and ``(iii) identify and promote best practices and tools to prevent, detect, and respond to fraud across covered funds; and ``(B) coordinating with relevant agency Inspectors General, the

Referenced legislation: HCONRES14, HRES1345, HR8312